Massive Rockfall At Yosemite's Iconic El Capitan In California Caught On Camera
A massive chunk of rocks slid down the face of El Capitan, one of the landmark granite peaks of California’s Yosemite National Park, in a scene caught on video by visitors earlier this week.
Roads and trails in Yosemite National Park were forced to close after a rockfall. Video from close range captures growing clouds of debris, as rocks are seen crashing down the edge of the famed rock formation El Capitan. ⛰️???????? pic.twitter.com/FOuH3qW3DD
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 23, 2023
El Capitan’s 3,000-foot stone face is a popular destination for rock climbers looking to test their skills, but park officials said no one was injured.
They said via Twitter that it was five to ten times smaller than the tragic 2017 rockfalls that left one climber dead and another injured, along with another injury on the ground, and displaced about 1,300 tons of rock.
A giant section of rock broke off El Capitan in Yosemite today. As fall as I know, no one was hurt. pic.twitter.com/7MihvT3V2Y
— James Piper (@JAMESPIPERPHOTO) February 21, 2023
The rockfall happened west of Yosemite Valley’s Camp 4 and led to the temporary closure of the nearby road as rangers assessed the situation.
The park’s official Twitter feed said the rockslide started at the top of Horsetail Fall, the waterfall that transforms into the “firefall” in mid-to-late February each year when backlighted by the setting sun and if conditions are just right.
Caught a little bit of a later rockfall too pic.twitter.com/LkorQRNHfD
— Absorbing Photons ???????? (@brianfulda) February 22, 2023